Summer Rewind

Commencement speaker Archbishop Desmond Tutu spread his arms wide as if to embrace the more than 20,000 spectators at Commencement on the Ellipse, with only the gentle sound of flags flapping in the wind and a few hushed voices as competition.

“There are no outsiders,” he said.

Tutu, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for his work to end apartheid in South Africa, was the lead speaker at the May 16 ceremony. (5/17 issue)

CHARITY MESSAGE: Tutu joins children’s choir

The little girls nervously pulled the hems of their black skirts, and the little boys tugged at the collars of their white button-downs.

But when the crew lifted the curtain, the children of every race, creed and ethnicity dropped their hands and raised their voices for Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

The Murch-Mann Children’s Choir joined other performers May 14 at Lisner Auditorium in a tribute to Tutu, who was the keynote speaker at GW’s Commencement two days later. (5/17 issue).

ALCOHOL SERVED: SBPM violates policy

Event organizers in GW’s School of Business and Public Management said they will educate themselves about the University’s alcohol policy after inadvertently violating it during a spring leadership retreat.

Student groups that applied for funding during the summer will receive their allocations despite a struggle between the executive branch of the Student Association and the SA Senate.

But SA President Phil Meisner said debate continues about how money will be doled out. (5/17 issue)

NEW HALL: Former hotel purchased

The University purchased the Premier Hotel on Virginia Avenue and plans to house almost 400 freshman students there starting this fall, said Jan-Mitchell Sherrill, associate dean of students for the Community Living and Learning Center.

The new residence hall, which will be called the Hall on Virginia Avenue, was bought in early June for $19 million after months of speculation and negotiations. (6/7 issue)

DINING EXPANDED: New places, hours

GW students who purchase a meal plan this fall will have more choices of where they can eat and more flexible dining hours.

The University has eliminated “meal zone” hours and expanded dining services to many of the locations on campus. It also plans to incorporate dining space in the recently purchased Hall on Virginia Avenue. (6/7 issue)

FRESHMEN: Large class raises concerns

GW administrators are spending their summer preparing to accommodate the largest freshman class in recent years.

Not only will they have to offer additional housing, GW officials said they will pay special attention to class size. (6/7 issue)

NEW HOSPITAL: BZA approves plan

GW won approval for a replacement hospital from the District’s Board of Zoning Adjustment May 19 against the wishes of local residents.

The BZA’s approval eventually will be accompanied this summer by a written order, which will specify conditions for the new hospital. Once the order is received, a date for groundbreaking and a timeline for construction will be set, said Amy Pianalto, media relations coordinator for the GW Hospital. (6/7 issue)

MUBARAK HONORED: Egyptian president receives degree

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said GW and Egypt share a commitment to a brighter future at a convocation in his honor June 9 at Lisner Auditorium, coinciding with an orientation session for GW freshmen.

“For many years, your institution has been dedicated to the shaping of minds, the building of character through knowledge, through study and the pursuit of truth. In this, you have contributed to building a better world,” Mubarak said as he accepted an honorary doctorate of laws. (7/12 issue)

GW SNUBBED: Two players left out of NBA Draft

GW men’s basketball stars Shawnta Rogers and Yegor Mescheriakov said they expected to be selected in the NBA Draft.

After all, the 5-4 Rogers was the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year and led the nation in assists, while Mescheriakov possesses the size and the range on his jump shot that scouts usually like.

But when the final pick had been made, neither player had been chosen in the draft held at the MCI Center June 30. (7/12 issue)

STUDENTS PROTEST: Part-time faculty want higher salaries

A group working to improve salaries and benefits for graduate teaching assistants made their voices heard at Colonial Inauguration events in June. Supporters of the Graduate Teaching Assistants-Adjunct Alliance distributed fliers to parents at GW’s four CIs.

The GTAAA is attempting to better working conditions for GTAs and part-time faculty. GW administrators have said GW’s pay scale for part-time faculty is designed to compensate individuals according to their experience, among other factors. (7/12 issue)

SUMMER CAMP: D.C. kids learn computer skills

A summer camp designed to educate inner-city youth on computer skills started in June on GW’s campus.

The Cyber-Youth Network Computer Camp, sponsored by the District, DaimlerChrysler Corporation, and Cyber-Youth Network, will teach 23 selected D.C. public school students computer repair, Internet research and Web site design and building. (7/12 issue)

-From staff reports

For the full story or other summer news, browse back issues of The GW Hatchet at http://www.gwhatchet.com